DIY Coordinating Family Gallery Wall

My 2016 goals included updating the family gallery wall in the living room.  I’m happy to say that MONTHS later, it’s now complete and fully on display! Here’s how I did it on budget and with my handmade touch!

DISCLOSURE: I am part of the DecoArt Blogger Program and was provided product samples for this project. However, this is a brand and product type I know and love! Know that I only promote and share products I personally use and recommend! To learn more, please review my disclosure policy here.

When doing some rearranging of our living room, I found the original wall we had the gallery wall on wasn’t the best place and instead moved it over our sideboard (used for table cloths, liquor and miscellaneous kitchen overflow).

In an effort to not spend a lot of money, I went through all the random frames I owned, plus shopped the clearance section of AC Moore and came up with this collection of frames for my gallery. Tip: flip the frames over to make sure they are wall hanging frames! So many I had in the original layout were only tabletop so I’m glad I looked sooner than later so I could swap them out!

At first glance you’re probably thinking I’m crazy to make this mismatch collection a gallery wall, but I had a plan! I have been enjoying the distressed look the Deco Art Americana Chalk paint gave to my entry mirror and the shipwheel mirror used in Hailey’s nursery so I thought the same technique could be used in the living room.

First, I painted all the frames with a base of Rustic brown. This way, no matter what I painted on top, when I did the distressed look, you would see a matching brown color underneath.

I picked a palette of colors that were pulled from inspiration of my living room. (Yes, this is an older photo prior to kids but the basic decor colors are the same. Since this photo was taken we obtained a lot more toys, no longer have a coffee table in the center and Brielle broke that pretty lamp seen on the end table to the right!)

The colors are coordinating and not matchy matchy, which is a rookie mistake I learned long ago!

I chose which colors should be on each frame, marking them with post it notes.

Next I painted two coats of each color on top of each frame, a step which took about a week since I could only squeeze in a little painting work at a time with two littles at home!

The next (messy) step occurred outside where I used sandpaper to distressed each frame. Tip: keep a rag nearby to wipe away all the paint dust that comes off during this step. Also make sure you’re not wearing your Sunday best!

As a final step, I added two coats of glaze to seal in the painted technique and a new dry rag to buff it to a slight shine. Sorry I forget to take a photo of this step!

To hang, I traced each frame with scrap paper so I knew their size, then hung on the wall with painter’s tape.

Derek was then in charge of hanging each frame according to whatever hook was on the back. This allowed me to leave him alone to do the project and not have to show him which frame went where.

After filling the frames with some of my favorite photos of our immediate family, the collection was complete!

I’m loving the distressed look!

I also created a frame of all the important family dates (like I did for my parents 35th anniversary) and added it right at the top.

The first time I printed and hung it up, I had Derek’s birth year wrong making him a year younger! #WifeyFail. Oh and now you know when you can send me birthday wishes! :)

I LOVE how it looks over the sideboard! These frames which most likely would’ve stayed hidden away in the drawers now have new life thanks to the Deco Art chalky finish paint!

Raise your hand if you want to see a before and after!

BOOM!